Source: Knight Ridder Newspapers

On June 29, 2001, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported that "about two dozen representatives from various Muslim organizations filed out of a meeting with White House officials after Abdullah Al-Arian, a congressional intern and an outspoken critic of Israel, was asked to leave. A Secret Service spokesman said the eviction was a mistake... The security mix-up added a new strain to Bush's already difficult relations with the Muslim community and Arab Americans. After supporting Bush in the November election, members of both groups have become increasingly critical of Bush's support for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...Al-Arian also has defended the Palestinian side in clashes with Israelis."